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Combating Abortion Industry Lies - A Primer

For some reason, I assume it was the impending March for Life or to support the Women's March (also known as The March Because Social Justice Warriors Hate Donald Trump, it had very little to do with women other than their genitalia) this video was making the rounds on social media again. I suggest watching before continuing.

In what I can only call propaganda for the abortion industry, Katie Couric interviewed Cecile Richards, the CEO of Planned Parenthood. This interview took place months ago, but is very typical of the lies the abortion industry and their allies like to tell.

With the March for Life just completed I am writing this as a handy resource to dispel the abortion industry propaganda that is distributed via talking points to their e-mail lists and partner organizations. Current GOP majorities in Congress and a GOP administration might be our best chance to flip the public debate and move forth with reasoned and life affirming public policy. Keep it bookmarked for that frustrating social media discussion.

Oh where to begin. Well, Cecile and her supporters like Katie love to say that only 3% of Planned Parenthood's business is abortion. If you use really funny math that counts every activity undertaken by a provider with a patient as a separate service, you can come up with that number. However if you count the number of abortions using the number of patients as the numerator for the same annual report, the number is 12%, or one in eight patients receives an abortion. This video walks through the true calculation.

Next in the interview, Cecile Richards states that one in three women in the U.S. has had an abortion. If you completely ignore the Guttmacher and Center for Disease Control data this statistic might make sense. However, we know that as of 2013 approximately 44% of abortions are repeat procedures. Data is not readily available to discern how many abortions any woman might have had beyond one, but even if each woman in the 44% statistic has had the minimum two abortions, the 1 in 3 statistic is blown out of the water. Even Politifact rates the claim as only Half True.

Richards also likes to say in the interview that Planned Parenthood provides "reproductive health care". Nice euphemism Cecile. Reproductive health care would encompass pre-natal care which Planned Parenthood does not provide. It also does not provide mammograms, fertility treatments or any care for common gynecological problems such as endometriosis or menstrual or menopausal disorders. If you want to clearly understand Planned Parenthood's business model, watch this interview with Abby Johnson, a former Director at Planned Parenthood turned pro-life activist. Planned Parenthood makes money providing abortions, period.

https://youtu.be/Rpmh4SSq2xE

In the interview, Cecile becomes very emotional about the idea that Roe v Wade could be overturned by a Republican. First Roe v Wade can only be overturned by the Supreme Court which is an independent branch of government. Second, even if this were a likely outcome that does not mean abortion becomes illegal. It means that under the 10th Amendment each state would develop its own statutes related to the procedure. So yes, law would vary from state to state. Guess what, so does public opinion on abortion. If New York is content to end nearly 30% of pregnancies in abortion, they still can. Other states may also do as they see fit. The joys of federalism.

The other mantra in this video is Planned Parenthood is critical to providing safe and legal abortion. First, safe and legal is actually not their goal. The mantra of the abortion industry is free, on-demand, without apology, throughout pregnancy. If you want evidence listen to Abby's interview or cruise the NARAL website which states a limitation at 20 weeks is a ban. That's 5 months gestation and a two weeks away from extrauterine viability in some cases.

Planned Parenthood provides contraception is another popular theme. Sure they do. They have also routinely opposed over-the-counter birth control legislation. They claim they do this to protect women's health. Funny, they also oppose ensuring a clinic has a doctor with hospital admitting privileges in the event of a surgical complication during abortion. In reality, Planned Parenthood objects to any move that reduces their clientele with very little consideration for the health or welfare of their clients.

In the interview, Katie Couric does a beautiful and admiring homage to Margaret Sanger. A simple Google search is full of direct quotes from writings that demonstrate Sanger was a racist and eugenicist who saw birth control and abortion as means for controlling undesirable populations. Maybe that is why Planned Parenthood facilities are so concentrated in urban areas? Margaret Sanger was a vile person period and carrying on her fight as your explicit mission is simply disgusting.

Much of this interview was used to deflect from the shocking videos by the Center for Medical Progress that showed Planned Parenthood staff casually negotiating the pricing of various fetal parts. This interview of course calls the videos deceptively edited when a link to the full two hours and forty minutes footage is available on the Center's website.

Oh, I almost forgot Planned Parenthood's budget. Cecile is correct. There is not some $500,000 dollar line item given to her organization in a lump sum. It collects about $400 million in reimbursement for services provided through Medicaid. They also get a $60 million family planning grant which is a line item. They claim the Hyde Amendment prevents paying for abortion services, but based on coding practices the government may be paying for everything but the actual extraction.

Additionally as not for profit that receives government reimbursement, Planned Parenthood's Super PAC spends a lot of money on lobbying and supporting the campaigns of Democrats running for office. With their ability to fundraise, perhaps that energy would be better spent on raising funds for continued operations. Richards herself made $590,000 in 2013 and the organization has a $100 million endowment. Cry me a river.

Look, I am all for reasoned and data driven debate about policy on abortion. I consider myself to be decidedly pro-life even though according to most polls I would be placed in the pro-choice camp. What I am tired of is the blatant lies repeated by the abortion industry and their allies in the media and Democrat party.

The latest Marist poll shows shows that while 52% of Americans are pro-choice, to include my own position of safe, legal and RARE, it also shows 85% are in favor of some kind of restrictions. 77% of women are in favor of limiting it to the first trimester. It also notes that 61% feel that federal funds should not be used to pay for a woman's procedure and a full 59% feel the procedure is morally wrong regardless of gender, policy preference or religious affiliation.

Our representatives in government on both sides of the aisle need take the most recent Marist poll and others that consistently show a growing trend in the same direction seriously and as the basis for any policy discussion. At some point in the near future abortion needs to cease being a gruesome political football and be resolved to reflect the feelings of the nation at large, not special interest groups like Planned Parenthood.